Body compression device for patients under fluoroscopic examination

Abstract

A hand held device allows force to be exerted on a body of a patient without causing muscle fatigue of the hand. Preferably the device is made of a radiolucent material. This device is particularly useful when used to manipulate or depress the abdomen to displace one bowel loop away from another so that tumors or other abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract can be visualized during fluoroscopy. The device has a lever arm with a wrist cuff at an end of the lever arm and a handle both extending from the lever arm with a compression cone at the end of the lever arm opposite the wrist cuff. The user grips the handle with the wrist cuff resting across the dorsum of the wrist. Pressure is exerted on the abdomen by the cone by volar flexion of the wrist. Additional pressure and sensitivity are obtained by the use of a finger tab extending from the lever arm at a position between the handle and the cone. A thumb rest rib on the handle also improves sensitivity.

I claim: 
     
       1. A device held in a hand of a user and extending over a wrist, the device being used for exerting force on a body of a patient wherein the device comprises: a lever arm having a forward end and a rearward end;   a handle extending from the lever arm at a position between the forward end and the rearward end;   a wrist cuff extending from the lever arm in the same direction as the handle, the wrist cuff being positioned closer to the rearward end than the handle and;   a work element positioned at the forward end, the work element exerting force on a body of a patient.   
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises; a finger tab extending from the lever arm in the same direction as the handle, the tab being located forward of the handle.   
     
     
       3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises; a planar surface of the lever arm and the handle and;   a thumb rest rib comprising an elongated protrusion extending substantially perpendicularly from the planar surface.   
     
     
       4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises; a planar surface of the lever arm, wrist cuff and handle and;   a reinforcing rib comprising an elongated protrusion on the planar surface.   
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the wrist cuff further comprises a hook end at the end of the wrist cuff not adjacent to the lever arm. 
     
     
       6. The invention of claim 1 wherein the device is a body compression device and the work element is a compression cone. 
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the compression cone further comprises a hollow cone having walls gradually tapering to a rounded apex of the cone. 
     
     
       8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the compression cone is made of a material which is a radiolucent to x-rays. 
     
     
       9. The invention of claim 8 wherein the compression cone further comprises a marker made of a metallic material. 
     
     
       10. The invention of claim 1 wherein the hand and the wrist of the user are protected from x-rays by a lead glove and wherein the hand so protected can grip the handle and the wrist cuff extends over the wrist so protected. 
     
     
       11. The invention of claim 2 wherein the device further comprises; a planar surface of the lever arm and the handle and;   a thumb rest rib comprising an elongated protrusion extending substantially perpendicularly from the planar surface.   
     
     
       12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the device further comprises; a planar surface of the lever arm, wrist cuff and handle and;   a reinforcing rib comprising an elongated protrusion on the planar surface.   
     
     
       13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the wrist cuff further comprises a hook end at the end of the wrist cuff not adjacent to the lever arm. 
     
     
       14. The invention of claim 13 wherein the device is a body compression device and the work element is a compression cone. 
     
     
       15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the compression cone further comprises a hollow cone having walls gradually tapering to a rounded apex of the cone. 
     
     
       16. The invention of claim 15 wherein the compression cone is made of a material which is radiolucent to x-rays. 
     
     
       17. The invention of claim 16 wherein the compression cone further comprises a marker made of a metallic material. 
     
     
       18. The invention of claim 17 wherein the hand and the wrist of the user are protected from x-rays by a lead glove and wherein the hand so protected can grip the handle and the wrist cuff extends over the wrist so protected.